1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to an automatic telephone dialer which utilizes an electronic telephone book for providing ready access to a relatively large number of listings.
2. Disclosure Information Statement
In preparation for this application, a patentability search was conducted in Class 379/Subclass 359, 179/90AD, and 179/90BB. The search uncovered the following patents:
______________________________________ Patent No. Inventor Date of Issue ______________________________________ 4,431,870 May et al 2/14/84 4,029,908 Moseley et al 6/14/77 3,988,550 Ts'ao 10/26/76 3,940,573 Healy et al 2/24/76 3,928,731 Cohen 12/23/75 2,953,647 Johanson 9/20/60 2,941,043 Ham, Jr., et al 6/14/60 ______________________________________ Other References ______________________________________ IBM/TDB, V.15,No. 7 Delmege, Jr. 12/721 p. 2197 and 8 German Patent Publication Thies 1/10/82 DE 3011511 A 1 ______________________________________
Reference to the patent to Ts'ao '550 revealed a repertory dialer. This repertory dialer has a number storage and number recall system, which system is more technically sophisticated than the earlier inventions to Hamm, Jr. et al '043 and Johanson '647. In Ts'ao '550, the description is provided of entering a number into storage and correspondingly of reading a number stored in the repertory. Both a-c signal and d-c impulse operations are taught. Further, with the above listed patents on hand, the present application is posited as certain technological problems previously unresolved, are responded to thereby. The instant invention of an automatic telephone dialer combines a three coordinate storage structure with random (rather than sequential) access to memory; a central processing unit combined with an electronic telephone book; and, an operator "friendly" entry and retrieval arrangement.